Clean Clean Kiss?
by femmefatale2
Summary: Ben and Gwen are out on a cleaning spree. They discover many littered articles, junk, dirty dishes and plates, dirty clothes… But will they discover love…for each other? BxG. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BEN 10…….

**Clean…Clean…Kiss??**

"What?" cried both cousins in unison, shock writ large on their faces.

"You really don't want us to do all this work, do you?" asked Ben, devastated at the thought of having to clean up all that junk.

"When I say DO IT, I mean DO IT," said Grandpa sternly, "I'm going out for some work. When I return, I must find this RV spanking clean. A day's time should be enough for you two to finish off the work together." He turned towards Ben. "And no aliens allowed. It is you who will have to do all the work by yourself. Got that?"

Ben nodded, already foreseeing a drab and dull day. He wished he could be out on the streets, kicking some major alien butt…but instead, he was stuck here with this dweeby cousin of his, not to mention the piles of workload in front of him….Phew!! What a major drag!!

Once Grandpa had gone, Ben sat down on the bench, put his feet up on top of the table, plugged his I-Pod in, and sat listening to music with his eyes closed, oblivious to the world around him.

"Ben --" called Gwen once. "Ben --" she called, a bit louder this time. But Ben just sat there, eyes closed, humming softly. "Hello, Ben!" cried Gwen, getting exasperated. Still Ben did not answer.

"Ben!!" yelled Gwen right in Ben's ear, springing up and pulling away the I-Pod from his ears.

"AARRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" cried Ben, jumping out from his seat, "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SHOUT LIKE THAT??"

Gwen smirked. "You didn't forget what Grandpa said, did you?" she asked sarcastically, "Or maybe you suffer from amnesia."

"Am – what?" said Ben, wondering why Gwen used such tough words.

"Amnesia," repeated Gwen, highly exasperated by now, "But you'll probably die trying to even pronounce the word…so forget it."

"You pulled out my I-Pod just to throw insults at me?" asked Ben, looking offended.

"No, I didn't," retorted Gwen, wanting to slap this irritating cousin of hers then and there. "We have been entrusted with the work of cleaning up this RV. And you don't expect the RV to clean up itself, do you?"

"Use your brains, my dear cousin," said Ben lazily, "Use your magic!"

"Duh!" said Gwen, making a face, "As if that idea hadn't already struck me! I'm not using magic 'coz I don't want to. It's high time you did some work by yourself, Ben."

"Yeah," said Ben, pointing to his Omnitrix, "But I'm not gonna do the work. My aliens will."

"_My aliens will_ --" said Gwen, mocking Ben, trying to restrain herself from saying something for which she would be sorry later. "It's YOU who has to do it. And I'll see to that."

"Oh, yeah?" said Ben, stepping closer. "You're gonna MAKE me do it myself, Gwendolyn Tennyson?"  
"Yes, I am," replied Gwen, stepping in further closer, "And if you dare to turn into some alien or other, then…"

"Then what?" asked Ben, raising his eyebrow, but not before inching closer to Gwen.

"Then…" said Gwen, standing directly in front of Ben, "Then I'm gonna tell grandpa."

"Oh yeah?" asked Ben mockingly, stepping in closer to Ben.

"OH, yes," said Gwen, locking eyes with her cousin.

As they stood there, glaring at each other, they suddenly became aware of the propinquity between them. They were barely millimeters apart. They could feel their breath on one another's faces. But they made no attempt to move away. It was as if they were under some sort of a spell. They slowly began to lean in…closer…and closer…and closer…

Suddenly, Gwen's sense came back to her. She threw back Ben with a tremendous jerk, which sent him flying beyond the front seat, colliding with the windshield with a huge BANG!! As for Gwen, she turned away, unable to stop blushing. What was I just goin' to do? KISS BEN??

"Ow…" groaned Ben, getting up, rubbing his back sorely. "Why did you have to do that? I mean…it wasn't as if we were gonna do something really -- " He was silenced by a glare from Gwen. "I don't wanna talk 'bout what happened," she said, standing with his back to Ben so that he would not be able to see her going red in the face.

"So you're really not gonna let me turn alien?" asked Ben, wondering why Gwen was being so adamant.

"You guessed right," said Gwen, finally regaining her composure enough to face her cousin. "And since I'm not gonna provide any magical assistance either, it's high time you thought about beginning the work."

"Hello?" said Ben, "It's not just me alone who'll have to do all this work. Grandpa said 'the both of us', remember? He didn't leave you outta this!"

"Oh, okay," said Gwen, looking frustrated, "Let's divide the work, shall we? You take the washing and cleaning of the clothes, and I'll finish off the dishes. Later, we'll clean up the mess we've left over on the floor and benches together, 'kay?"

Ben nodded, glad at the distribution of work. Thank God Gwen hadn't given him the job of washing and drying the dishes! He wouldn't have been able to complete the job without breaking at least ONE plate!

"Now what are you waiting for? An invitation card?" mocked Gwen, "GO and begin your work!!"

"Sure…" said Ben nonchalantly, "Take care not to break ALL the plates!"

"Dweeb!" called Gwen over her shoulder.

"Huh! What are you?" called Ben, stepping into the bathroom, "Doofus!!" Gwen opened her mouth to retort, but on hearing the sound of the bathroom door being slammed, she shut her mouth, knowing it would be futile to shout, as Ben would probably not even be able to hear her.

She turned her attention back to the dishes. She too wasn't an expert at this job, but she wasn't as bad at it as Ben. She seriously hoped she'd be able to finish her task without breaking anything. As she vigorously scrubbed the plates, she wondered how Ben was faring with his job. She purposely hadn't chosen the job of washing the dirty clothes, and had tactfully and skillfully shoved it aside for Ben. But considering how bad Ben was at the task she was presently doing, perhaps the choice hadn't been too bad for him. And moreover, she would NEVER have touched all those dirty clothing articles Ben had. UGH!! Just remembering those piles of dirty shirts and socks made her stomach churn over. And she didn't want to even THINK about his underwear. Suddenly, a thought crept into her mind. If she had taken the job of washing the clothes, then she would have to wash both Ben's and her clothes – including their underwear. And that meant…Ben was probably washing HER underwear at this minute. Just the mere thought of Ben touching her underwear sent shivers down her spine. She could feel heat rushing up to her cheeks. She imagined Ben in the bathroom, going through her clothes, touching them, washing them… She shuddered. She put the thought out of her mind, and tried to concentrate on what she was doing……

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Ben was already huffing and puffing, wishing Grandpa would have an AC fitted there. Oh, gosh! What did I get myself into? I would have been much better off washing –and even breaking dishes!

As he sorted out the pile of clothes, keeping his and Gwen's in separate piles, he thanked his stars that Grandpa had not left his pile of clothes for him. This RV should have a washing machine! Man, this job is not as easy as I thought!

He began flinging the clothes around in a hopeless attempt to keep everything separate, and ultimately mixing up everything again. Finally, when his attempts had gone in vain for about the hundredth time, he decided to call Gwen in. he stepped out of the bathroom, looking desperate. He saw Gwen still at the sink. "Gwen," he called. Hearing his voice, Gwen turned back. "Finished everything, huh?" she said sarcastically. She began to walk towards the bathroom to see how well Ben had carried out her orders. But as luck would have had it, she tripped on a box lying on the floor, and went and landed……straight into Ben's arms, thus toppling Ben over. And there they lay, Gwen on top of Ben, surrounded in his protective arms… An electric current swept through their bodies, no doubt resulting from their prolonged physical contact. Gwen opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She stared at Ben, opening and closing her mouth like a fish; in a frantic attempt to speak. Finally, she found her voice. "Ben -- " she began, but was cut short as Ben's lips pressed against hers, drawing her into a warm, passionate kiss. Gwen had never imagined that her cousin would be SUCH a good kisser. Still in a state of reverie, Gwen deepened the kiss. They stayed like that for a long time, and finally broke the kiss, gasping for breath.

The moment they broke the kiss, Gwen snapped back into her senses. The full realization of what they had just done struck her like a violent blow, and it sent her senses reeling. THEY HAD JUSTKISSED EACH OTHER?? Feeling dizzy, she slumped down on the floor. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She started trembling out of fear and shock. She couldn't control herself.

"Gwen?" called Ben softly, concerned. Gwen turned up to look up at Ben, but her mind registered nothing except the kiss. She didn't see Ben's worried face…She didn't hear his soothing words…

I just kissed my cousin…I just kissed my cousin…I just kissed my cousin…I JUST KISSED MY COUSIN…… And with that, she blacked out…

**A/N:** ._**Okay…that's all for the first chapter. I have no idea if this is gonna be a two-shot, three-shot, or even a quadruple-shot. And I can't predict that, 'coz I NEVER begin my stories with any specific plot in my mind. I just begin with something, and go on writing whatever (junk!) comes into my mind…and LO!! I have a story already!! Anyway, I don't wanna bore you with all this crap…so just go ahead and REVIEW!! Tell me exactly WHAT kind of BenXGwen stuff you want, and I'll be sure to provide it for you in the next chapter, 'kay? For the time being, REVIEW!! **_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**_**Thanks for the reviews, guys… Reviews are what keep me going. Moving on to the next chapter…Hope you like it….**_

……Gwen slowly blinked her eyes open, only to find Ben hovering over her, a hung-up look on his face. 'Ben," she began feebly, "I…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Ben swooped her up in a big hug, holding her close to his body. "Oh, Gwen…" he murmured, "Thank God you're okay...I thought something had happened to you…"

Gwen smiled feebly. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to her cousin. She shifted uneasily, feeling ill at ease. Was she, Gwen, the forever-levelheaded girl, beginning to fall for her cousin? She hoped not. Things would take a very bad turn if she did. She began to fidget, not being able to comprehend her emotions.

…Ben let her go the moment he realized she was squirming. He turned away from her, feeling a horrible twitchy feeling creep into him. Gosh, what was happening to him? He wasn't beginning to develop feelings for his cousin, was he? He inhaled deeply, trying to figure out what was happening to him.

"Er…Ben…" said Gwen, a tinge of restiveness in her voice, "We haven't yet cleaned up the RV, you know…"

Relieved to have the topic changed, Ben faced Gwen. "Yeah…" he said indecisively, "I…I was actually coming to tell you that I needed some help in washing the clothes, when you tripped over and…" he trailed off, wondering whether it would be wise to repeat what had taken place.

"Yeah…" said Gwen, "When I stumbled and landed straight in your arms!" She purposely left out the part about the kiss. She didn't want to mention it – not because she had hated it…. No, she had to admit reluctantly…she HAD liked the kiss… She didn't want to mention it because she was not sure how Ben felt about it. She didn't want to wrangle with him yet again…

"You should thank me for saving you!" Ben was saying, a flippant smile playing on his lips, "If not for me, you'd have ended up with at least one bruise!"

Gwen smiled, trying to look blasé. But the frivolous smile on his face disturbed her. What was Ben up to? And why was he smiling in that nonconforming fashion?

"Gwen," said Ben, his face looking distraught, "Could you just help me wash the clothes? I mean, I'm having some trouble in sorting the clothes…"

Gwen shook her head, exasperated. Why was Ben having trouble in doing such a cushy job as washing clothes? "See," she said, wiping away beads of perspiration from her face, "I've nearly finished my job. After that we'll clean up the RV, and then we'll think 'bout the clothes, 'kay?"

Ben shrugged. "Yeah…whatever…" he said, going and sitting on the bench. As Gwen continued her job of washing the dishes, Ben sat there, staring at her. 'Gosh…she's got a real nice figure,' he contemplated, gazing intently at Gwen's profile, 'her height is just PERFECT…perfect for me…'

"Hey Ben," called Gwen, turning towards Ben, snapping him out of his trance-like state. As Ben's mind caught up on what he had been just thinking; a blush crept up his cheeks. Gwen noticed that, a feeling of inquisitiveness arising in her. "What's with the blush?" she asked, desperately hoping Ben would answer her truthfully. But as usual, he did not.

"Nah! Nothing…" he replied, trying to conceal his emotions, but failing hopelessly, what with his cheeks getting redder by the minute!

Usually, if Ben had blushed like that, Gwen would not have let him hear the last of it. She would have affronted him to the last shred. But today, she didn't feel like being sardonic. Instead, she wanted to go and hug him, soothe him, console him… Gwen's newly found emotions for her cousin flabbergasted her. Was it really SHE who was thinking all this? She felt as if someone else had taken control of her mind – and body – and was making her do all these things. And stranger was the fact that these new found emotions did not bother her. She was completely unperturbed by all these feelings. She felt no pain, no resentment, no sorrow…just a blissful sense of tranquility…

"Hello?" called Ben, staring curiously at Gwen. He had very seldom seen her go into reveries like this. Usually, she was the practical-minded, down-to-earth, and no-nonsense kind of girl… it was very unlike Gwen to behave in this manner. He wondered what was wrong with her. Had it something to do with the kiss? Or maybe……. Oh great! Now _I'm_ the one drifting off into _another_ reverie!! He turned to Gwen, only to see her staring at him solemnly. There was a far away look in her eyes. "Hey, Gwen!" he called, a bit more loudly than before.

"What?" said Gwen, snapped back into veracity. "I - I'm sorry. I was just… anyway, let's begin the work. I'll clean out the cupboards, and you'll tidy the floor. Is that fine?"

"No," said Ben, "We'll clean out the cupboards together, and then tidy the floor. Don't divide the work. We'll do it _together_."

Gwen sighed. Somehow she wanted to avoid Ben…not because she hated him, but because…well…she couldn't quite elucidate the because… Maybe it was just better to let things be…

The two cousins walked up to the cupboard silently. There was an electrifying tension between them. Both wanted to break the silence, but neither wanted to speak up first. Finally, Ben took the initiative. "So…" he began, starting off with whatever came into his mind in the first instance, "How's your school? I mean, back in Bellwood?"

"Huh?" asked Gwen, startled. Why was Ben asking her 'bout her school?

"I mean…your friends and all…" said Ben quickly, feeling like a fool out there.

"Oh…" said Gwen, still feeling a bit dubious, "Well…I do have a big peer group and…" A sudden mischievous idea came into her head. "By the way, Ben, how 'bout your friends?"

"Me?" said Ben, surprised.

"Yeah," continued Gwen, "Any special friend of yours?"

"Special?" asked Ben, confused, " All my friends are good. I don't have any best friend or something of that sort…"

"I'm not speakin' of that, doofus!" said Gwen, exasperated, " I meant…any girl friend…??"

"What?" cried out Ben, a blush creeping up his cheeks, " How…how…" he scratched his head furiously, searching for the right word.

"Ridiculous?" offered Gwen, giggling on seeing Ben's discomfiture.

"Yeah," continued Ben, " How ridi-cu-cul… whatever…of you to say something like that? How do you expect me to have a girl friend?"

"Why? Am I expecting too much?" said Gwen, still grinning.

Not being the taciturn type, Ben decided to pay her back in the same coin. "Yeah, you are," he said, "But maybe I wouldn't be expecting too much from you if I asked you whether you had any boyfriend…!!"

"What?" shrieked Gwen. The smile dropped sharply from her lips. "I…I… how can I …"

"A yes or a no," prompted Ben, hoping she would say no.

"No," said Gwen ,trying hard not to flush, "I don't have any boyfriend…"

"I thought you had one," said Ben, grinning puckishly, "Especially since you're SO pretty!"

"Really?" blurted out Gwen. But the moment the word was out of her mouth, she realized what a blunder she had committed. It wouldn't take long for a clever person to figure out that she had revealed her emotions through this one word she had spoken. She knew Ben was juvenile…but was he so juvenile that he wouldn't be able to make out THIS? She looked up at Ben, hoping he had not understood. But the look on his face told a different story. He HAD understood…and he appeared to be shocked by this discovery. "Ben, I -- " she began in a hopeless attempt to explain, but Ben shushed her with a sweep of his hand. Had Gwen really taken what he had said as a compliment? But why? He had just been teasing her! True, he had begun to develop some feelings for his cousin… but had Gwen developed something more than mere feelings? He wanted to relive the memory of their kiss; maybe that would help facilitate his – or maybe their – emotions. But he didn't want to even think of that. He had absolutely no idea why he had kissed Gwen…or why Gwen had kissed him…or why they had kissed each other. _**They had kissed each other**_…that was all that made sense to him at that moment. Akin to Gwen, it was not that he hadn't liked the kiss. He had enjoyed it. But if he had enjoyed it, he would have liked to revive the experience, wouldn't he? But no… he didn't… he didn't because… it was not quite…normal… Beyond this, he could himself make nothing out…

He turned his attention back to Gwen, who was still looking at him with a rueful expression. Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable urge to console Gwen, calm her, and tell her that it was all right… but he didn't think Gwen would take kindly to it. If only he knew that Gwen had been having the same feelings for him, not quite long ago, then things would have been so much cushy!!

"It's okay, Gwen," he said, trying to sound unflustered, "I mean…yeah…you really ARE pretty…" Before Ben could complete his sentence, Gwen threw her arms around her cousin, wrapping him in a grateful hug. "Thanks, Ben," said Gwen softly.

"It's…it's okay…" replied Ben, instinctively putting his arms around her. After a while, Gwen drew back, looking flushed. She turned back to cleaning out the cupboard, breathing deeply.

Ben too shook his head and turned his attention back to the cupboard. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something at the back of the cupboard – something dark and dusty. "What's that?" he asked, trying to pull it out.

"Hmm?" asked Gwen, turning sideways to see what Ben was referring to. She caught sight of it, and immediately inserted her hand in, trying to take it out. The moment her hand touched Ben's outstretched hand, an electric current passed between them. She quickly withdrew her hand, waiting for Ben to take the thing out. Soon, Ben had 'it' in his hands. Gwen looked at it minutely. It was so dusty that she couldn't make out what it was.

"What's this?" she asked, attempting to wipe away the dust. But before she had a chance to, Ben blew on it hard. Immediately, a thick cloud of dust filled the entire RV, sending both the cousins into coughing fits. Finally when the dust cleared, they peered at it. On the dark brown cover – in golden embossed letters – were written: " BEN AND GWEN'S CHILDHOOD ALBUM"…

**A/N:** _**Hope that was okay. Lately I've been feeling as if my writing standards have been dropping. Is that true? Just leave a review and let me know!! And don't forget to mention what you liked 'bout the chapter and what you didn't!! See ya soon!! **_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** _**I'm extremely sorry for using all those grandiloquent words… Oh shit…there I go again… Anyway, I'll take care not to confuse you people any more by dropping bombshells of high-sounding words… Thanks for the constructive criticism!! Now, on with the chapter…**_

…"Our childhood album?" asked Ben, amazed. Why, he had never known that he'd had any photos with Gwen during their infancy!

"This is strange," mused Gwen, "Firstly, we were never even told that we had any baby photos together…and secondly, why was this album hidden away in the depths of this cupboard? I mean, if not for Grandpa, we wouldn't even have discovered this!"

"Do you think he wanted us to find this?" asked Ben, getting more and more astonished by the minute.

Gwen shrugged. "We'll ask Grandpa that when he returns," she said, "For the time being, let's go through this, 'kay?"

Ben nodded, handing over the album to Gwen. Slowly she opened it. On the flyleaf was written:

' _**Ben**__** & **__**Gwen '**_

_Under starlit skies,_

_You walk into my waiting..._

_The soft swoosh of foamy surf_

_Is the music we dance to joined_

_Motionless we stand,_

_Bodies trembling_

_Softly you whisper into my sea-scented skin_

_Don't move-not an inch_

_Our sweat slicked bodies ache with need_

_Thighs quivering with a tidal rhythm_

_Until... like the rising surf_

_Breaking over the warm damp sand_

_I beg for release._

_I moved..._

_Like the rising sea, your body erupts in foamy ecstasy_

_And we slip entwined in love_

_And spent embrace_

_Smiling at the craven cold of the distant stars._

_You whisper again-don't move_

_Love's slow, sweet, agonizing dance,_

_Begins anew…_

"Wow!" said Gwen softly, mesmerized by the breathtaking aura of the poem, "I wonder who wrote such a beautiful poem!"

Ben nodded silently, blown over by the delicacy of the poem. Although half the words had just gone over his head, it had not taken him long to realize how lovely the poem was. He slowly looked up at Gwen, who was still under the spell of the poem. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt irresistibly drawn towards her. He sighed, wondering what Gwen was thinking at the moment…

Gwen, on the other hand, had understood every single word of the poem. It had struck a deep chord in her heart. She had no idea how Ben felt about the poem, but somehow, deep down, she knew that the poem had been meant for them…the both of them…

"Why do you think our name is at the top of this poem?" asked Ben aloud.

Gwen looked up at Ben. _Gosh, he is looking cute!!_ She slowly shook her head, and cleared her throat. "I dunno…maybe…you know…this poem had been meant for us…"

"For us?" asked Ben, surprised by Gwen's answer, "But…we're cousins… I mean…how could this have been meant for us?"

Gwen shrugged. This was an answer she herself did not have… She slowly opened the first page of the album, expecting to see either herself, or Ben, or even the both of them together. But the snapshot that had been placed over there was totally an unexpected one.

It showed Ben and Gwen together in bed, arms around each other, clad in nothing…or rather, clad in their birthsuit, to put it more properly. And under the photo was written:

'**True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, **

**Nor can it be hidden where it truly does…'**

Ben and Gwen stared at each other, a skeptical look on both their faces. Neither could believe what they were seeing…and yet it had to be true… There was a slight hint of red in both their cheeks.

"What…what does this mean?" asked Gwen, the color slowly fading from her cheeks, "True love…found…hidden…why is all this written below our picture?" She turned towards Ben, and looked at him, as if demanding an answer from him. But Ben remained silent. Somehow, he felt as if the words were true…and had been written just for them… But he couldn't bring himself to say that. "It's…it's true…isn't it?"

"What?" said Gwen, eyes flying wide open with a jerk, "What do you mean?"

"That this line has been composed just for us…" replied Ben, tearing his gaze away from Gwen, and forcing himself to look down at the album.

Gwen too looked down, her face a mixture of disbelief and astonishment. She too knew that somehow, somewhere, those words exactly matched the relationship they shared…but she didn't want to acknowledge it. With quivering hands, she turned the next page of the album, half-expecting another intimate photo… But there was nothing. Just a blank space where the photo should have been. Beneath the blank space was another quote:

**'Soul meets soul on lover's lips…'**

The two cousins slowly brought their faces up, and turned towards each other. Ben's face registered mild curiosity, but Gwen's face was contorted with intense shock.

"This…this can't be…" she whispered, her hands trembling so much that she dropped the album with a loud thud on the floor of the RV.

"What can't be?" asked Ben, unable to understand the reason for Gwen's shock. He had figured out this much that the quote had been referring to a kiss… but was that the reason for Gwen's shock? Why was a kiss bothering her so much?

Gwen looked at Ben, a desperate look of helplessness on her face. Hadn't Ben figured out that…that…

"Hey!" called Ben, alarmed on seeing Gwen in this condition, "You okay?"

Gwen shook her head. She was seriously NOT okay. She couldn't believe her eyes. Was this true? Or was it some kind of a sick joke being played on them? The genuineness of the matter told her it was not…

"Could you just calm down and tell me why you are reacting in such a strange manner?" asked Ben, mightily surprised, "This quote refers to a simple kiss, doesn't it?"

"Yes!" said Gwen, looking distressed, "And the place where the photo – our photo -- should have been is blank… And that means…"

Ben gasped, the horrifying realization dawning on him. **"It was our kiss they were referring to??"**

**  
A/N:**_**Hope I was okay this time…I mean, I tried to minimize the use of bombastic words as much as I could, keeping in mind your points. Was I able to live up to your expectations? And did you like the chapter; and the way the story is progressing? Just leave a review and let me know!! **_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: ** **_I wasn't supposed to update this until two days later, but my parents have gone out for dinner, leaving me alone in the house yippee!! and so I decided to update this thing… So, moving on…_**

…The two cousins stared at each other's faces, not knowing what to say or do next. This was something totally out of their comprehension, and they had no idea how to react.

"I…we…" began Gwen, "I mean…how is this possible? We were just kids and…"

"And we loved each other…" finished Ben, trying to sound calm, "Remember the first quote?" He silently picked up the album and leafed back to the first page, and read the quote aloud.

"True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist,

Nor can it be hidden where it truly does…"

"Tr—true love?" hesitated Gwen, "But we're supposed to be cousins…"

"And we _are_ cousins," said Ben, putting a hand on her shoulder, " It's just that we…we…"

"Love each other?" completed Gwen; leaving a mark of interrogation at the end of her sentence, "**_LOVE_**?"

Ben sighed. "I think we need to talk about something…"

Both of them went and sat on Gwen's bunk, Ben still carrying the photo album in his hand. Once seated, Gwen asked, "So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Ben sighed once again. Did he really want Gwen to know what he felt for her? But he had already told her that he had to say something. There was no backing out of this now. This was the point of no return. Either now or never. "I…I…" He stopped midway. His hands were trembling, and he was sweating profusely. He had no idea how Gwen would react to his confession. Maybe it would be better to just…

"I…I… what?" demanded Gwen, "Complete your sentence, will you?"

Ben inhaled deeply. "I just… I can't… stop thinking about you. You're in my mind all day and I love it and I hate it and… and I just… needed you to know, I guess…" He let it out all in one breath – burbled – to be more appropriate; keeping his gaze down. Finally, when he had finished, he looked up, slightly gasping for need of air.

Gwen was gazing at him with a blank expression on her face. He could see her forming her lips in response.

"Don't speak," Ben said, thinking that Gwen was just going to scream at him ruthlessly, "I just...like you…like you a lot…I…I…love you, Gwen… And I know you don't feel the same way but I just… I just needed to get it out."

Gwen still kept staring at Ben with that strange expression on her face.

"What?" said Ben; cursing himself for ever having decided to let his feelings out, "I really like you! Even if you don't feel that way for me, that's not gonna change my feelings, is it?"

"And who told you that I don't feel the same way?" she finally spoke up, looking at Ben through wistful eyes.

Ben's head jerked up, his eyes became wide as saucers, and his jaw dropped. He couldn't believe his ears. "What do you mean b…"

He was not even allowed to finish his sentence. Gwen suddenly leaned in closer to him pressed her lips against him, pulling him in closer to her…As both of them intensified the kiss, Ben could feel the grinding of their teeth in the most sensitive nerves of his body. She grabbed his collar and pulled him even closer to the point where he couldn't breathe…

They finally departed from one another by inches, which seemed like miles… after that sensational experience. As Gwen drew back from him, blushing, Ben was just left speechless. He could have never imagined that Gwen too felt the same way…"I…I…didn't know…" he began, wondering whether all this was a dream.

Gwen chuckled softly. Ben could hear a dozen silver bells tinkling in that one laugh of hers. He stared at her, enchanted. Her eyes were cool pools of pure love…and her smile could light up a whole room with its radiance. Would he ever get so lucky again? Probably never…

"What are you thinking of?" asked Gwen, the grin refusing to descend from her lips. She didn't know why – but she felt light-hearted like never before…

"I really didn't know you too liked me…" he said, finding all this too good to be true, "I thought I was the only one…"

Gwen shook her head softly. "Yeah," she said, "I too had no idea that I had like…you know… I don't even know how all this happened. It just happened…" She stopped to reflect on that line: 'True love cannot be found where it truly does not exist, nor can it be hidden where it truly does…' Was this true love? She didn't know…but she hoped it was…

"Shall we continue seeing the album?" asked Ben, feeling carefreesince the first time in days, "After all, that's how it all started!"

Gwen smiled and nodded. Ben slowly turned to the next page.

It contained another photo of Ben and Gwen. This time they were out in an open garden; a full moon above their heads. They were sitting on the silver tinted grass, Ben playing with Gwen's hair as she lay on his lap… Below it – as expected – was another quote:

'**Other men said they have seen angels, **

**But I have seen thee **

**And thou art enough…'**

"So sweet!" exclaimed Gwen, stroking the photo lightly, as if trying to relive that past moment.

"I wonder whether all this is really true…" mused Ben, staring intently at the picture, "I mean…we were so young…"

"There is no age for love, Ben," said Gwen solemnly, " When we were young, we used to love each other…many years have passed…and we have rediscovered love for each other. This is true love…Love that has passed the test of Time…"

Ben sighed with contentment. He had never known that love could bring so much of happiness to a heart… He had never even expected it to happen to him… But it had…bringing refreshing newness like the sweet grass-scented blessing of a silvery summer shower…

"Let's see the next photo," prompted Gwen.

Ben turned the next page over. There was a photo of Ben and Gwen sitting on a bench in the park, quarreling pretty fiercely..

"Hehe, this is one photo that suits the both of us perfectly!" said Ben, grinning. Gwen too smiled, but there was a certain shakiness in her smile… She herself didn't know why she felt flustered… but somehow, she did… She forced her attention back to the picture.

Beneath the snapshot was another quote, this time an exceptionally fascinating one:

**'Some people love with restraint**

**as if they were someday to hate…**

**But we hated gently, carefully,**

**as if we were someday to love…'**

"Isn't this lovely…" began Ben, but stopped on seeing those drops of moisture glistening in Gwen's eyes. He stared at her, astonished. "You crying?"

Gwen shook her head silently, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Don't lie," said Ben darkly, "I can see you're crying, and here you're talkin' your way out of it…What's wrong with you? WHY ARE YOU CRYING? Is it because of me? Did I say something?"

Gwen again shook her head. She didn't know WHY she felt so depressed… She had found true love…then shouldn't she be happy? Of course!! But somehow, she felt something far from happy. She was crying! What was happening to her? "I…I…" she began.

"Yes?" prompted Ben, "What's gone wrong, Gwen?"

"I…I…dunno…" said Gwen, a fresh flood of tears overpowering her eyes, "I should be happy, isn't it? Then why am I feeling so sad? Why does everything feel so wrong?"

"I'll make it right for you…" said Ben tenderly, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You will?" said Gwen softly, looking into her cousin's eyes.

Ben nodded profoundly. She didn't like to see Gwen in this state. He just…wanted her to be happy…

"You can't…" said Gwen, lowering her gaze, that depressed feeling taking charge of her once again… "YOU CAN'T…"

"Gwen," said Ben, with such warmth, reassurance and LOVE…yes, love…that Gwen was forced to look up. She looked at Ben through bleary eyes.

"Don't…I love those eyes of yours…and I can't bear to see tears in them…" He whispered these words to her as he softly caressed the hair off her face. He stared deeply into her eyes, into her soul, as a tear slowly trailed down her cheek.

He kissed her tear away. "I love you, Gwen…I really love you……"

Gwen stared at Ben, a blank expression on her face. For a second, Ben felt that all his efforts had gone in vain. But then, slowly, gradually, the change began to show. The tears stopped coming…the sobs withered out… Ben had touched a deep chord in Gwen's heart. He had touched her heart in such a passionate way that she could have never imagined. She had been buried in darkness not wanting to let anyone love her; but he found a way in. He had allowed her petals to blossom in the spring air. To feel alive, to breathe again…

She was no longer a fragile petal in the harsh wind. Strength had been found. But then, it had already been there, just waiting for the right key to open it…

Ben heaved a deep sigh of relief. He was happy to see that he had finally been able to set things right for Gwen… He moved in closer to her, and began stroking her lovely features…and running his hand through her hair. Gwen smiled contentedly. "Thanks a lot, Ben…for setting everything right for me…once again…"

Ben too grinned back. Slowly, Gwen stretched out on her bunk, lying between Ben's legs, head resting on his lap. They stared into each other's eyes, wondering exactly HOW their relationship had come into existence… it was as if their very souls were being attracted to each other – like magnets… Gwen was reminded of the theory of magnetism that they had been taught some time back. ' Like poles repel each other while unlike poles attract…' She wondered whether this had been the case with her and Ben. The both of them were 'poles apart'. Ben was extremely impulsive, headstrong, and always ready to jump into action. Gwen, on the other hand, always considered and planned ahead. 'UNLIKE POLES ATTRACT…' A small grin worked up at the corners of her mouth.

"What's so amusing?" asked Ben, curious.

"Nothing special…" replied Gwen, as Ben ran his fingers through her hair, "I was just thinking of the magnetism theory in Physics. You know, that 'Unlike Poles Attract' stuff…"

Ben groaned. "Please, Gwen! Spare me out of school and studies stuff at least now! It's summer vacations, man!"

Gwen chuckled, seeing his cousin's detestation at anything related to school and studies. "You were the one who wanted to know about it!"

"I don't anymore," said Ben, "All I want to know, and see, is you…you…and you…"

Ben leaned down towards Gwen…and their mouths closed in; sealing within it all the love they had for each other… They kissed relentlessly, not willing to let the other go. She poured all the pent-up passion within her heart into that one kiss… She loved Ben, and she would go to any extents to prove that to him…

They finally broke the kiss, as Ben sat up straight, both of them gasping for breath. Gwen inched up higher on Ben, her head now resting on his stomach. "This is just like in the photo…" murmured Gwen blissfully, "The only difference is that we were three then…and now we're ten…"

Ben nodded silently, gazing down at Gwen's pretty face. "You're so beautiful, Gwen…" he said softly, caressing Gwen's face lightly.

Gwen sighed, a soft smile lighting up her face. "This is just perfect…"

"What is?" asked Ben, knowing the answer very well; but just wanting to hear it from Gwen.

"You know…I…you…the both of us… Everything's just…just…"

"Really PERFECT," completed Ben, enjoying every moment of this eternal peace…

Gwen picked up the forgotten album lying on the floor, and leafed over to a certain page. She didn't know why she chose that particular page, but somehow…some hidden instinct within her told her to open that very page. She gently opened the yellowed-with-age folio…

The picture showed Ben and Gwen together in the bathtub, arms around each other's shoulders, and all smiles for the camera. The snap had a strange air of blissfulness, harmony and LOVE in it… And the quote was exceptionally beautiful…

'**Whatever the weather, it **_**WILL**_** be a beautiful day, for even the soft clean rain is a fragrant blessing…the sparkling cold snow a miracle… When you love, and know you're loved in return……'**

Gwen looked up at Ben, and Ben looked down at her. They leaned in closer…and closer…and closer… And then, they plunged into it… A kiss filled with warm passion, tenderness, affection, fondness and love… Everlasting love…

As they kissed each other fervently, Gwen was reminded of a phrase that had embedded itself in her heart, from the very moment it had been whispered between two lovers in an old time classic movie.

"This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime…"

Deep within her heart, she felt a deep sense of contentment and satisfaction and…yes…happiness. Her heart leapt with exceptional joy and ecstasy… She knew it was the beginning of something special…

This was their moment… And the future was theirs…

**A/N:**_**Okay… That's all for this fic. Hope that was okay. I was in a great hurry to finish this before my parents arrived…and I managed to do it!! YAY!! Wait a sec, I think I can hear them honking… OMG, they've arrived!! I really gotta go now. I'll be given a thrashing if they see me writing stories, when I was supposed to study… Damn it!! Anyway, just review and tell me how that went, 'kay? Catch you soon!!**_


End file.
